Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41654591›Full record

ArticleCancer gene therapy2026

Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated kinase inhibition overcomes gemcitabine resistance in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma via DNA ligase I-dependent repair vulnerability.

Sheng-Hsuan Lin, Yi-Ru Pan, Tsai-Hsien Hung, Wen-Kuan Huang, Chun-Nan Yeh

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer gene therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Sheng-Hsuan LinDepartment of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Yi-Ru PanDepartment of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5812-2674
Tsai-Hsien HungInstitute of Stem Cell and Translational Cancer Research, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Wen-Kuan HuangDivision of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan. medfoxtaiwan@gmail.com.
Chun-Nan YehDepartment of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan. yehchunnan@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1455-092X

Funding

Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan) MOST 110-2314-B-182A-063-MY3Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan) NSTC 111-2811-B-182A-014
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Gemcitabine-based chemotherapy remains the standard first-line treatment for cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), but acquired resistance presents a significant clinical challenge. Synthetic lethality approaches targeting double-strand break repair (DSBR) pathways offer promising therapeutic opportunities. Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase, a central regulator of homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), is critical for maintaining genomic integrity following DNA damage. Here, we demonstrate that combining the ATM inhibitor AZD0156 with DNA-damaging agents (cisplatin or photon irradiation) significantly enhances cytotoxicity in gemcitabine-resistant intrahepatic CCA sublines (GR-iCCAs) while sparing gemcitabine-sensitive parental cells. This selective sensitization manifests in impaired colony formation, increased apoptosis, and persistent γ-H2AX nuclear accumulation. The magnitude of AZD0156 sensitization in GR cells substantially exceeds additive expectations, strongly suggesting synergistic interaction. Genetic ATM depletion in GR-iCCAs under genotoxic stress recapitulated these effects, confirming on-target specificity. Mechanistically, GR-iCCAs exhibit significantly reduced DNA ligase I (LIG1) expression, a critical component of the alternative NHEJ (alt-NHEJ) repair pathway, particularly under DNA damage conditions. Genetic restoration of LIG1 expression reversed AZD0156 sensitivity, establishing LIG1 deficiency as a key determinant modulating DNA repair pathway dependency. In xenograft models, AZD0156 combined with cisplatin substantially suppressed tumor growth compared to monotherapy, with acceptable tolerability profiles. These findings identify ATM inhibition as a promising strategy to overcome gemcitabine resistance in CCA, particularly in tumors with compromised alt-NHEJ repair capacity, providing a mechanistic rationale for clinical development of this combination therapy.

Indexed as

Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated ProteinsBile Duct NeoplasmsCholangiocarcinomaDeoxycytidineDNA Ligase ATPDrug Resistance, NeoplasmProtein Kinase InhibitorsAnimalsCell Line, TumorCisplatinDNA RepairGemcitabineHumansMicePyridinesQuinolinesAtaxia Telangiectasia Mutated ProteinsATM protein, humanAZD0156CisplatinDeoxycytidineDNA Ligase ATPGemcitabineProtein Kinase InhibitorsPyridinesQuinolines

Identifiers

PMID41654591
PMCPMC13109053

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.